Missions 101: The Countdown to Missions
By Jason Pfingsten
So you’ve signed up to go on a mission trip. You look at the calendar and the trip is quickly approaching … the countdown has begun. The months prior to the trip turn to weeks, then days. Your days are busy and evenings full of commitments. If only you can get on the plane, you’ll be okay.
The days leading up to the trip turn to only hours before you’re scheduled to leave. You rush around packing, crossing everything off your long list, sleep for two hours, get up, and head to the airport. Phew, you made it. Barely.
Starting the Trip on Empty
But did you? I’ve seen many people approach their mission trip in just such a manner. And what happens? A tired body, stressed spirit, and faith running on low is what arrives on the mission field. If you’re going to serve, you need to be physically rested and rejuvenated in your faith. The previous days and weeks have left your physical and spiritual tank on empty. You’d never start a long road trip with a car showing 1/8th of a tank, so why do that to yourself?
When this happens you run the risk of missing the point of the trip and losing opportunities on the mission field. You risk getting sick because you are run down and tired. You need love and patience and Jesus. Instead of sharing those things, you’re the one who needs to be ministered to. But what if?
Slow Down and Seek
What if you spent the days and weeks prior to departure praying for the trip? What if you slowed down instead of speeding up to complete your long to-do list? What if you were like Jesus, who set the example for all of us in Mark 1:35 when “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed?”
How would it change your effectiveness during the mission trip if you slowed down and prayed as Jesus did? Would you be more or less aware of God’s leading during the trip? Would you be more or less likely to serve instead of needing to be served? If Jesus made it a priority to pray before his very busy days of ministry, all the more we need to slow down and pray before we go off to minister.
(You might very well be saying “But I have things to do before I go!” Jesus had things to do too—he just kept everything in perspective. Let some things go in your schedule in the weeks leading up to the trip. Allow yourself time and space in your schedule for rest and you’ll find that the things you need to do to prepare won’t be a burden.)
Set Your Mind on Things Above
What if your trip preparation didn’t stop there? What if you fasted for a day or two prior to your trip, spending extra focused time listening to God instead of running around? What if you spent extra time in the Word, seeking God’s leading and imprinting His Word on your heart? What if you turned on praise music and, in the quiet of your home, sang praises to Him and lifted up the name of the almighty God?
And what if, instead of running around trying to accomplish much before your trip, you spent time asking others for their prayers? Ask for prayers for God’s protection and prayers for the Holy Spirit to guide you and your team as you head off to the mission field.
And then what if you got a good night’s sleep before your trip? What if you went into the trip rested and rejuvenated by sleep and prayer and digging into the Word and worshiping God? Then you’ll go into the trip with your tank on full, your heart full of the Lord, and your mind on the things above. What kind of impact will you make then? It’s a guarantee that those on the mission field will see Jesus in you instead of the tiredness in your eyes and spirit.
So what kind of mission trip are you preparing for? How will you approach the days and hours leading up to your mission trip? May Jesus be your example of preparation during the busyness of life for ministry which lies ahead. May God grant you favor as you go and serve. To Him be the glory.
Jason Pfingsten is the founder and CEO of Thirst Missions. He’s seen thousands of people join the mission field for short-term trips during decades of ministry. He and his wife Addie live in Minnesota with their three daughters. He knows the need for quiet and rest and for Jesus’ guidance and strength every day.
